A statewide report released by the California Department of Justice this month may improve the way law enforcement interacts with people who have intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions. KALW’s Rachel Longan has more.
Autistic youth are nearly twice as likely as the general population to be stopped by police.
In most of California, law enforcement usually responds when people are having a mental health crisis, or when caregivers are unable to manage behaviors related to intellectual or developmental disabilities.
A bill passed two years ago created a council to evaluate interactions between police officers and this population. The council is made up of leaders across disability, mental health, labor, aging, education, and public
safety sectors. Their report was released last week.
The council used testimonies from community members, law enforcement, and experts to understand the scope of existing training and proposed recommendations to improve public safety.
They say officials have to address workforce shortages, create more training on de-escalation, and collaborate with community organizations.
You can find the report here
